


if i should be so bold, i'd ask you to hold my heart in your hand

by xavierurban



Series: JayTim Month-ish 2019 [5]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Detective Comics (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: A/B/O, Alpha Tim Drake, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Arranged Marriage, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Childhood Sweethearts, Falling In Love, Forced Prostitution, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied/Referenced Neglect, Implied/Referenced Parent/Child Incest, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, International Debutante Ball, Janet Drake POV, M/M, Masturbation, Mild Age-Regression, Mixed POV, Omega Barbara Gordon, Omega Jason Todd, POV Alfred Pennyworth, POV Barbara Gordon, POV Dick Grayson, POV Jason Todd, POV Tim Drake, Pack Dynamics, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Heat-Sharing, Sibling Bonding, Underage - Freeform, Underage Masturbation, a/b/o dynamics, betrothal, but i'd rather tag from the start since i'm sure it'll be relevant, collaring, high society - Freeform, i'm not sure how much that will apply yet, i’m sorry these tags weren’t here from the start but they kind of snuck up on me, janet drake is manipulative as hell, listen: Catherine Todd wanted to be a good mother but she made a lot of mistakes along the way, no capes AU, not age play, omegas treated as a commodity, platonic collaring, some bigger than others
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2020-10-17 09:02:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20618441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xavierurban/pseuds/xavierurban
Summary: Richard and Jason Wayne aren’t the Wayne heirs Gotham’s elite were expecting, but Janet Drake knows she can play that to her advantage. Her own heir, Timothy, is less than two years younger than Jason, and it’s a stroke of fate that her boy is an alpha and, Bruce Wayne’s, an omega.She’s more than willing to play the long game for a chance to finally secure a bond between the Drake and Wayne packs.JayTimWeek2019 Week 6: A/B/O





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> a quick note on secondary gender: i've gone with the variation where it's known from birth if someone is an alpha, beta or omega. they don't so much present as hit puberty, which is when alphas begin to have ruts, and, omegas, heats.
> 
> title from if it kills me by jason mraz

Janet Drake isn't exactly surprised when word comes out that Bruce Wayne has taken in another stray pup. His first, Richard Grayson-Wayne, was grown now, having recently left the nest, and while Janet can't imagine the feeling herself, she's aware that many parents struggle with empty nest syndrome. No, what surprises her are the reports that his newest boy is an omega.  
  
It's interesting, to her, that she can sense no difference in the way the articles speak of him, just as disparaging as they had been about Richard and full of claims that Jason, too, was not a fit heir to the Wayne pack or Alpha Wayne's business empire.  
  
How foolish of them, to be blinded so by their own bigotry. Bruce Wayne has never shown one ounce of belief that bloodlines were important to him.  
  
No matter, though, this would only work in her favour.  
  
See, her own heir, Timothy, is a scant two years younger than Jason, and an Alpha, despite his two beta parents. A union with the Wayne pack has been something her own family had aspired toward for decades. In her own youth, Janet had fancied herself the next Mrs. Wayne, but Bruce's studies had taken him away from Gotham, and by the time he returned, she'd already been betrothed to Jack.  
  
To finally achieve that tie between their packs, Janet would be content to deal with the stigma and the rumours that would follow, because, in the end, the people of Gotham were wrong. Richard and Jason _would _inherit all that the Wayne pack had to offer when Bruce's time finally came, and with them, she would make sure that Timothy did, too.  


* * *

It isn't long before the opportunity to introduce the two pups arrives, just as Janet had expected. Bruce had thrown a party, too, when Richard's adoption was finalized, after all.  
  
"I expect you to be on your best behaviour tonight, Timothy," Janet says as she steps into her son's room on the night of the event.   
  
He looks over at her for a moment, and then nods as he returns his attention to the mirror he's using to help him with his tie.  
  
"Of course, mother," he murmurs.  
  
Janet tutts, and walks over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him around. She swats his fumbling hands out of the way and then takes over.  
  
"You are to be extra courteous to Mr. Wayne's new pup," she advises as she makes quick work of a crisp windsor knot and then releases him, "An omega is a thing to be treasured, no matter where it comes from."  
  
Tim steps back and pulls his suit jacket on, buttoning it with ease.  
  
"Mother, I've met omegas before," he reminds her, and Janet does her best to hold back a sigh.  
  
"Bruce Wayne is a very powerful man, and an admirable alpha," she explains, a sharp look in her eyes as she holds his gaze, "I will not have you offend him in his own home by failing to treat his pack omega with due respect."  
  
Tim lowers his gaze in submission, "Yes, mother."  
  
She looks her son over and, this time, she does sigh.  
  
"Come with me," she says, beckoning him forward as she leads him out of his room and through hers and Jack's to their ensuite bathroom.  
  
She turns him to face the mirror and then stands behind him as she reaches for her husband's comb.  
  
"When you're introduced, you may take his hand and kiss it, and then tell him what a pleasure it is to meet him," she tells him as she starts to comb through his unruly hair, "But that is the _only_ time you should initiate contact, aside from asking him to dance."  
  
"Aww, mom," the young alpha whines, shifting in place, "Do I _have _to dance?"  
  
Janet gives a sniff of disdain.  
  
"If he allows it, yes."  
  
She places her hands on his shoulders until he stills, and then resumes trying to tame his hair.  
  
"Do not do anything so crass as to obviously force your company on him," she continues, "But try to engage with him. Ask him how he likes living with Mr. Wayne, and what he enjoys doing for fun. Take an interest in what he has to say."  
  
She sets the comb down and takes up a jar of pomade, scooping out a small dollop of it and beginning to work it into Tim's hair.  
  
She can tell Tim wants to ask something, but he remains silent for longer than she's willing to wait him out.  
  
"Speak, boy," she commands, and Tim looks up to meet her gaze in the mirror.  
  
"What if he doesn't like me?"  
  
"That attitude is terribly unbecoming," she chastises, and the boy winces. Janet sighs, and nudges him aside, washing and drying her hands before she crouches down and turns her son to face her.  
  
"You are going to make a wonderful alpha one day, Timothy," she tells him, reaching out to brush her thumb over his cheek, "You're a clever, handsome boy, and there's no reason for Jason not to like you. Any omega would be pleased to have your attention."  
  
Tim's cheeks darken, and his eyes are wide with childish glee as he looks up at her; it brings a genuine smile to Janet's face.  
  
"Now," she says, straightening up and smoothing down the silk of her skirt, "Why don't you go tell your father to bring the car around?"  
  
Tim nods, and lets his chest puff out a little with the newfound confidence as he turns and leaves the room.  
  
Janet turns back to the mirror, smile still in place as she does a few last minute touch-ups to her own hair and her lipstick and then massages a few drops of a sweet, vanilla-scented perfume into the scent glands on her wrists and neck.  
  
She gives herself a final once-over, and then goes to join her husband and son.

* * *

The party goes even better than she could have expected. Jason and Tim had hit it off right away, though Janet suspects it was mostly that the omega was just pleased to have someone close to his own age around who didn't treat him like some kind of pariah. Tim, too, seemed pleased to have made a new friend - and with his mother's blessing, at that. They'd barely left Wayne Manor for the short drive home when he'd asked if they could have Jason over soon to spend the afternoon.  
  
Janet had smiled at that, a secretive, pleased twist of her lips, and smoothed down her child's unruly hair in a rare show of fondness that had the young Alpha beaming from ear to ear.  
  
Yes, everything was indeed going to plan.


	2. Chapter 2

It's only a week later when the Drakes have Bruce and Jason over for Sunday brunch.   
  
"Isn't it lovely how well they're getting along?" Janet muses aloud as the adults watch from the patio as the two pups chase each other around in an impromptu game of tag, "I've always wished Tim had more friends so nearby."  
  
Bruce hums, and Janet can hear a distinct note of pleasure in the sound.  
  
"Timothy is a good lad," he says, "I'm grateful that Jason has made a friend so quickly."  
  
Janet gives him a sad smile at that, and reaches for Jack's hand.  
  
"Of course," she says gently, "The poor pup has been through quite an ordeal, hasn't he?"  
  
Something dark passes through Bruce's eyes, but it's gone a moment later.  
  
"Yes," he agrees solemnly, "And the adjustment has been… difficult."  
  
"I'm sure," Janet sympathises, "It must be quite a lot for him to take in."  
  
Bruce gives another hum of agreement, but smiles against the lip of his coffee cup as he gazes fondly at the two boys.  
  
"Thank you," he says after a moment, and Janet tilts her head slightly.  
  
"Whatever for?"  
  
The alpha seems to hesitate for a moment, before turning his piercing gaze towards her.  
  
"I'm sure you've seen for yourself how… unkind the papers have been," he explains, "Unfortunately, it has coloured many people's perceptions of my children."  
  
He pauses, and then adds, "I'm grateful that you don't hold those same prejudices."  
  
"Bruce, darling," she says, giving Jack's hand a pointed squeeze, "We've been friends far too long for us to be anything less than overjoyed that you've found children to call your own. Isn't that right, dear?"  
  
"Of course," the other beta agrees, "We think it's a wonderful thing you're doing, giving those pups a chance at a better life and loving pack."  
  
Janet is surprised to see a blush darken Bruce's cheeks, but she covers it quickly with another smile.  
  
"They're very lucky to have you, Bruce," she says, and the alpha gives a pleased rumble from low in his chest.  
  
"No," he disagrees, "I'm lucky to have _them_."

* * *

Jason laughs as he flops down onto his back next to Tim on the grounds of Drake Manor.  
  
He can't remember the last time he'd simply let himself act like the eleven year old he is, and he supposes he owes Tim a great debt for that.  
  
Tim sits up eventually, when he's finally caught his breath, and moves to lean over Jason with a wide grin.  
  
"You're really good at tag," he compliments, and Jason chuckles. He probably shouldn't say that his time in the streets taught him the importance of being fast, so he doesn't.  
  
"You ain't so bad, either, shortstack," he says instead, and Tim rolls his eyes.  
  
"We're the same height," he points out, and Jason scoffs.  
  
"Yeah," he concedes, "But Doc Thompkins says I'm due a growth spurt soon. Then you'll _really _be a shortie. My old man was _huge,_ yanno."  
  
Tim laughs, and lays back down next to him.  
  
"Yeah, but he was an alpha, right?" He says, and Jason frowns, "You might not get as big as him."  
  
"I ain't never gonna be some dainty lil 'mega," he spits, and Tim jolts a little at the harshness of his tone.  
  
"Okay," he replies eventually, and Jason can see him shrug out of the corner of his eye; he allows himself to relax a little in return, "You can be a big, tuff Omega who protects his pack and is secretly a total softy."  
  
Jason rolls his eyes, but there's a small smile playing at his lips.  
  
"Somethin' like that."  
  
"Hey, does that cloud kinda look like a bat to you?" Tim asks suddenly, his arm outstretched to gesture towards the sky.  
  
Jason squints, and tries to see what Tim is talking about, but try as he might he just can't.  
  
"Looks like a cloud to me," he finally says, and Tim heaves a put-upon sigh.  
  
"You should get your eyes checked," he says, and he sounds so serious that Jason just has to laugh, clutching at his stomach as his eyes mist over.  
  
"You're a damn hoot, Timmy," he says when he finally pulls himself together, and the younger boy beams over at him.  
  
Bruce comes over to collect him not long after that, and Tim makes him promise that they'll play together again soon before he leaves.  
  
Jason finds himself looking forward to it.

* * *

Jason heads for the library as soon as they return to the Manor. Bruce tells him not to worry, and that Jason and Tim seemed to have had quite a fun afternoon, and so Alfred can only assume the poor pup is tired. He is, after all, still not especially used to socializing, and the library has quickly proven itself to be the boy's preferred place to decompress.  
  
He gives the pup an hour to collect himself before venturing into the library under the guise of dusting and tidying up.  
  
"Good afternoon, Master Jason," he murmurs, and Jason looks up from his book quickly, his scent flaring up with surprise.  
  
"Alfie!" He chirps, his book snapping closed as he sits up from his slumped position on one of the chesterfields, "Hi!"  
  
"Did you have a pleasant afternoon with the young Mister Drake?" He asks, pointedly not looking at the boy as he begins dusting the shelf farthest from the door.  
  
"Yeah," Jason confirms, his scent warm with contentedness, and Alfred can imagine the grin he must be wearing, "Timmy's pretty cool, for a little kid."  
  
Alfred hums, and there's a twinkle in his eyes that speaks of amusement though his calm, steady scent gives nothing away to the pup behind him. Timothy Drake is hardly the only "little kid" in question here, but he allows Jason his bravado.  
  
"I'm pleased to see you making friends, Master Jason."  
  
"Thanks, Alf," he says softly, and Alfred can't quite stop the low rumble in his chest. He's glad for that, when Jason lets out a quiet, happy sigh in response.  
  
Their newest packmate is still so very guarded, only recently beginning to allow himself and Bruce to really _know _him, and Alfred can't help thinking that a friend will make a huge difference in Jason's adjustment.  
  
He goes quiet as he resumes tidying up the room, and Jason eventually turns back to his reading.  
  
The entire scene warms Alfred's old heart, and the warm pleasure in his scent must be relaxing to the pup, because Jason is curled against the armrest and snoring softly by the time Alfred reaches his side of the room.  
  
He smiles, and carefully extricates the book from Jason's hand before marking off his place and setting it aside. He pulls a thick, hand-knitted blanket down from the back of the chesterfield and settles it over the boy.  
  
"Rest well, dear boy," he murmurs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter doesn't have much tim in it, and i apologize for that. i considered making it a side-story, but that didn't sit right with me, so it stays, and y'all get some batfam insight.
> 
> trigger warning for references to physical domestic and child abuse, child neglect, and implied (suspected) child sexual abuse.

Hanging out with Tim is nothing like hanging out with the other kids Jason grew up with, alpha or otherwise. Mostly, it's a lot more like playing than hanging out, and Jason honestly can't remember the last time he'd _played_ with someone else, unless he counted competing with some of the other kids to see who could pick the most pockets or hit the most beer bottles with rocks.  
  
But Tim ropes him into games of tag and hopscotch, and teaches him clapping games, and even showed him how to play Mario Kart and Call of Duty on his gaming console.  
  
Today, they'd been playing with Lego blocks, and Jason is a little bit embarrassed to admit how much he enjoyed helping Tim build his Hogwarts castle and quidditch pitch. He'd always thought building blocks were for little kids, but one of the boxes had said _16+ _on it, so he must have been wrong.  
  
Being friends with Tim is actually pretty cool, even if he is two years younger than Jason, and an alpha. It's an easy fact to forget, actually, because Tim doesn't _act _like an alpha, at least not any of the ones Jason grew up with. He doesn't bite or snarl, and he doesn't try to boss Jason around, or even say any dirty things about the famous omegas on tv or in the magazines. And when he does get excited and grabs Jason to drag him off somewhere, Jason doesn't even worry anymore that he's going to hurt him.   
  
It's honestly a little bit weird, but Jason certainly isn't going to complain.  
  
Tim's parents are more than a little bit weird, though, not that Jason would ever say that to anyone. They're both betas, at least, so Jason doesn't feel _as _worried as he thinks he might otherwise.  
  
It's just- Mrs. Drake seems kind of fake, like she's only being nice to Jason because she has to be. And Jason gets that, because good adults are _supposed _to put up with kids, even if they're brats. And Jason _knows _he's a brat.  
  
The thing is, she kind of treats Tim the exact same way. Or, not the _exact _same way, because she's extra sweet to Tim, but it still seems kind of fake, from where Jason is standing. And then there's Tim, who seems to soak up her attention like a sponge, and Jason remembers seeing lots of kids and omegas like that, back in the alley. Usually it was the ones who weren't used to getting it, and when someone said something nice to them, they'd trip over themselves to do whatever was asked of them in return.  
  
Jason is pretty sure that it's not supposed to be like that here, for kids like Tim.  
  
Mr. Drake is only a little better, but that's mostly because Jason doesn't see as much of him. Tim says he works a lot when he's home, so that his mom doesn't have to.  
  
Apparently they both go away a lot, to do work together as archaeologists. Which is pretty cool, except for the part where they don't take Tim with them when they go.  
  
Which is great for Jason, but not so great for Tim, although Jason guesses it probably explains a little bit about why Tim seems to thrive on getting his mother's attention when she is around.  
  
She isn't around right now, neither of Tim's parents are, and Jason feels pretty bad that he can't stay over longer, but Bruce had told him to be back by lunch time, and it's already twelve forty, which means he has to leave so he has time to walk back to the Manor.  
  
Tim gives him a great big hug before he leaves, and asks if he wants to come over again tomorrow, and Jason just grins and ruffles the younger boy's hair.  
  
"Maybe," he tells him, not letting the kid pout for too long before he continues, "Alfie says you should come over sometimes, instead, so Miss. Marie can have a break."  
  
Tim grins, even as a blush darkens his cheeks, and he scuffs his toe against the ground.  
  
"Oh," he says, "Yeah. That would probably be nice."  
  
Jason grins, and opens up the door so he can step outside.  
  
"Cool," he says, "I'll call you tomorrow! Bye, Timmy!"  
  
"Bye, Jason," Tim calls after him.  
  
There's an unfamiliar motorcycle parked in front of the Manor, catching Jason's attention even before he's close enough to really tell what colour or model it is. When he does reach it, he can't help reaching out to run his hand over the sleek, royal blue body of it in appreciation.  
  
It's a good bike, and Jason wonders what that has to say about its owner. Is this a business call? It doesn't really scream dedicated Wayne Enterprises employee to him, but then again, he never would have taken Bruce for the sort to drive a bike, either, and he's got several. He's even promised to let Jason have one of them when he's old enough.  
  
(Well, he'd told Jason he'd buy him a new one, but Jason had managed to negotiate him down. Because motorcycles are _expensive_, especially the kinds that Bruce rides).  
  
Jason is itching to take this one out for a joyride, even though he knows he really shouldn't. That's not who he's supposed to be anymore, and Bruce would be so disappointed. Still, he picks up the helmet that's been left of the seat, tossing and catching it a few times, just because he can.  
  
The wind catches a scent off of it, and Jason fumbles it, nearly dropping it as his blood runs cold.  
  
Hesitantly, he lifts it closer to his face and sniffs, just to be sure. In a flash, he's dropping the helmet onto the pavement and dashing up the stairs and into the Manor, just barely keeping his wits about him enough to keep quiet instead of shouting for Bruce.  
  
  
  
He'd recognize the scent of a pissed off alpha anywhere.

* * *

Dick chooses a Tuesday to visit because he knows it's Alfred's day off, and even the thought of facing their pack's eldest Alpha threatens to derail his anger. He can't afford that, not when he knows he's _right _to be so angry with his father.  
  
He allows that anger to carry him through the front door of the Manor and straight to Bruce's study, where he can smell the other man's scent seeping out into the hall.  
  
"Hey _Dad_," he all but snarls, slamming the door shut behind him to grant them some semblance of privacy in case that damn _kid _is around.  
  
His own scent must have warned Bruce of his approach, because his alpha doesn't so much as twitch when the door slams.  
  
"Dick," he starts, standing up behind his desk, and this time Dick does snarl.  
  
“What were you thinking?” He demands, his hands clenched into fists at his side, “I grew up so you, what, brought home the first orphaned pup you could find to _replace _me? Was that supposed to make me want to come home and grovel for you to accept me back?”  
  
“What was I supposed to do, Dick?” Bruce asks, expression going tight, “Do you think he was better off where I found him?”  
  
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Dick growls, although all he really knows about _where Bruce found him _is what he's read in the papers, which hadn't told him much except that he was from Park Row, “No one is saying that! Fuck. You could have done a hundred other things that weren’t fucking _bringing him home with you_!"  
  
Dick pauses, chest already heaving with the force of his rage, and eventually continues, "He’s not some stray dog you can just bring in from the cold until you’re ready to hand him over to a shelter!”  
  
It's Bruce who snarls this time, and Dick has to fight not to cower.  
  
"Do _not _presume to tell me my intentions, Dick," he says, then takes a deep breath as if to calm himself. After a moment, he comes around to the other side of his desk to face him, "Adopting Jason had nothing to do with you."  
  
The words feel like a slap to the face, and Dick reels back.  
  
“Fuck you, Dad!” He snarls, “It has _everything _to do with me! This decision wasn’t yours to make alone!”  
  
Bruce growls, a low, threatening sound, and Dick bares his teeth at him as he steps closer to his father.  
  
“This is _our _pack, Bruce,” he shouts, “_My _pack to lead someday! You had _no right!_”  
  
“Without Jason, there _is no _pack for you to inherit, Dick!” Bruce shouts back, and Dick glares daggers at him, since he can’t actually _argue _that point, “I thought you would be pleased! You _love _pups!”  
  
Dick glowers at him, the stink of alpha rage filling the room from both of them and stoking his own aggression even more.  
  
“Are you trying to say you did this for _me?_” He demands, and then laughs darkly, “You are so fucking full of _shit_, B! You thought you could bribe me to come home with a pup to care for? He’s _yours_, not mine! You did this for _you!_"  
  
He reaches out to shove at Bruce, and snarls again when it has no effect on the man.  
  
"You couldn’t bear not having someone looking at you like you hung the moon and stars every second of the day," he rages, "So you went out and found yourself a pup who would have to rely on you since I _don’t _anymore!”  
  
"Dick," Bruce warns, a low growl escaping, but the younger alpha isn't deterred.   
  
“Do you even know the first thing about raising an omega?” He challenges, lips curling into a cruel sneer, “Because I can’t remember you ever being able to keep one happy for long before.”**  
** **  
** Bruce roars at that, and Dick pushes through the shudder that runs down his spine, refusing to be cowed.  
  
“I’m not wrong!” He shouts, and he knows that it’s dangerous to egg Bruce on like this, but for all the arguments they’ve had in the last few years, Bruce has never laid a hand on him, and Dick doesn’t really expect him to start now.**  
** **  
** The door bursts open suddenly, and Dick rounds on it with a snarl towards the perceived threat. The moment he turns, however, he’s hit by a wave of terrified omega hormones so thick it makes him gag. He barely notices the small figure darting into the room and beelining for Bruce, but he turns back around at the sound of Bruce’s grunt as the boy - Jason, he can only assume - collides with him.  
  
“Don’t fight!” The pup cries out, hands twisting into the fabric of Bruce’s shirt, “Please, I’m sorry! Don’t fight!”  
  
Dick feels his anger flag in the face of this assault on his senses, the omega reeking of both fear and _pack_ as he clings to Bruce and tries (and fails, just as Dick himself had) to push him backwards, further away from Dick. He can only watch as Bruce’s own shoulders drop, his scent shifting quickly from anger to guilt and concern.  
  
“Jaylad,” he says gently, and Jason _whines_, and tries again to push him backwards.  
  
“Don’t fight,” he begs again, baring his neck up at Bruce when he finally accepts that the pack alpha will not be moved, “Don’t hurt him, _please_!”  
  
Dick’s eyes widen in surprise, and he takes a step back, away from the pair.  
  
Jason is… worried about _him_? If anything, he should be making a misguided attempt to protect Bruce, their _alpha_, and the only one of the two of them who the boy even knows.  
  
The last of Bruce’s anger seems to drain away before his very eyes as he crouches down to rub his cheek against Jason’s.  
  
“Hey,” he murmurs, “No one is hurting anyone, it’s okay.”  
  
Jason is practically vibrating with tension as he allows Bruce to scent him.  
  
“Please, you can’t fight,” he begs again, quieter this time, and Dick feels a rumble growing in his chest that seems to make Jason shudder before responding with a low whine of his own. The sound of it breaks Dick’s heart in ways he didn’t even know were possible, and he blinks a few times to try and clear his mind.  
  
In a matter of seconds, Jason has managed to worm his way into Dick’s heart, and he feels like he should be angry about the way his instincts have accepted the unwanted pack bond between them so readily. But the anger doesn’t come back, not even when Jason’s fear slowly begins to recede, the cloying terror in the air around them slowly starting to dissipate.  
  
Jason sniffles, and Dick tastes salt in the back of his throat, realises the boy must be crying. His suspicion is confirmed when Jason turns to look at him, damp streaks on his cheeks as his eyes dart towards the door and then back to Dick, his expression pleading before he turns back to Bruce.  
  
How old had the papers said he was again? Eleven? Twelve? Either way, standing there between the two alphas like some kind of lamb to the slaughter, he sure as Hell doesn't look it, and Dick thinks that, maybe, he can see why Bruce had such a hard time leaving him behind.  
  
"S'my fault," Jason says imploringly, and Dick frowns, "I'm sorry. I can… I can go. Just don't fight."  
  
_"Fuck,"_ Dick mutters, and then crouches down to be closer to the pup's level.  
  
"Jason," Bruce murmurs, and his hand settles at the nape of the pup's neck in a comforting gesture. At least, it should be, but it just makes Jason tense up, his breath hitching.  
  
"Hey," Dick says gently, "No one is going to fight. We were just… having a _disagreement_. No one is going to hurt anyone."  
  
Jason whimpers, and Dick can smell the disbelief on him. He looks up, catching Bruce's gaze, and the pain and regret on his father's face threatens to take his breath away.  
  
Jesus Christ, he hadn't realised.  
  
Whatever Jason's life had looked like before Bruce turned it upside down, there's no way it didn't involve domestic abuse. It's just a matter of whether or not Jason had merely witnessed it, or been actively abused himself.  
  
Given this particular display, Dick is more than willing to put his money on the latter. Omegas don't generally develop their protective instincts so strongly until there are younger pups in their pack, or other omegas they view as weaker.  
  
Like a battered mother, perhaps.  
  
And he'd just barged into the pack's den in an absolute rage, a complete stranger to the pup before him, recognizable as pack only by the undercurrent of Bruce and Alfred's scent that they both carry. But instead of being perceived as a threat, he's managed to give Jason the impression that _Bruce_, his new alpha, may be one.  
  
Fuck, he'd likely just undone any progress the other two alphas had been making with getting him comfortable in the pack.  
  
Alfred was going to be _livid_ with him.  
  
Jason sniffles again, and Dick is drawn back into the here and now. He forces a weak smile as Jason looks between the two of them uncertainly.  
  
"Hi," he says gently, forcing out every reassuring hormone he can muster, "I'm Dick. I'm sorry we had to meet like this, kiddo."  
  
Jason sniffs once more, and scrubs at his wet cheeks with the back of his boney - _so _boney, Jesus, how did Dick miss how _thin _he is? - wrist.  
  
"'m Jason," he mumbles, then looks at Bruce anxiously, "Yer really not gonna fight?"  
  
"We're really not going to fight," Bruce reassures him, and Jason still twitches when Bruce ruffles his hair, but at least the trembling has subsided.  
  
His scent spikes with sadness a moment later, and the pup fixes his gaze on the ground.  
  
"'m sorry you hafta have me for a brother," he says, voice hitching with suppressed tears, and Dick kind of wants to punch himself in the face, "I'll try not t'be any trouble. You don't gotta come home if you don't wanna."  
  
Even if he _had _managed to follow through with his intentions to reject the omega, it was cruel to have had the argument where Jason could overhear it. His anger is at Bruce, really; the boy before him is just unlucky enough to be caught in the crosshairs. The fact that his instincts are screaming at him, now, to comfort and protect his pack's only pup just makes Dick feel even more ashamed.  
  
(And angrier, too, at Bruce. It's just… suspicious, is all. That he'd bring home a pup who looks like he's been kicked into the dirt enough times already, as if he knew Dick would take one look at him and want to keep him, too. Fucking manipulative bastard.)  
  
"I'm sorry you had to hear all of that," he says eventually, his smile thin with regret, "I was wrong to target you when it's Bruce who I'm upset with."  
  
Bruce gives off a low rumble, and Jason sinks back against his chest even as Dick frowns, shooting his father a look as if it to tell him that they aren't finished. Bruce glares back at him, and presses a kiss into Jason's hair.  
  
"S'ok," Jason mumbles, gaze still lowered. He shifts slightly, baring his neck to Dick as he closes his eyes, a resigned expression on what Dick can see of his face.  
  
Dick realises with a sharp intake of breath that Jason is submitting to him, letting Dick choose to settle pack hierarchy, if he so wishes.  
  
There is a small, ugly part of himself that wants to sink his teeth in until he can taste the pup's blood, to make sure this pup knows that he won't be usurped by this _replacement_, this second-rate, back-alley stray who got it into his mind to come in here and try to take what's his.  
  
Dick isn't proud of it.  
  
Instead of giving into that urge, he shuffles closer on his knees, and leans it to trace the tip of his nose up the side of Jason's neck to the scent glands just behind his ear, inhaling his scent straight from the source. Jason gasps softly, and holds himself still, his body tense, save for the rise and fall of his chest that is just a little too rapid.  
  
He smells afraid again, but it's nowhere near as potent as it had been just minutes prior. Beneath that, he carries traces of Bruce and Alfred's own scents, as well as something sharp and citrusy, and Dick is a little stunned to realise that it's Jason's own scent. There isn't even the slightest hint of the milky sweetness that all prepubescent pups share.  
  
Most pups don't shed that scent until sometime after their second, or sometimes even third, heat or rut.  
  
Which means Jason must have had his first heat roughly a year ago, at minimum, and Dick can't stop the growl that escapes him.  
  
He's never once heard of a pup hitting puberty so young without foul play being involved.  
  
Jason trembles, and Bruce lets out a low rumble to try and soothe them both.  
  
Dick tilts his head, and brushes his cheek over Jason's neck a few times, doing his level best to ignore the spike of surprise in the boy's scent. After a moment, he moves to press his teeth against skin, then opens his mouth to nip gently at it. Jason continues to tremble, his surprise sharpening when Dick doesn't outright bite him.  
  
He pulls back eventually, and Jason seems to tense up even more, but when Dick doesn't lean back in again, he slowly opens his eyes, relaxing back against Bruce when he registers that Dick isn't about to lunge at him.  
  
"Oh," he says softly, his eyes suddenly wet again, and Dick has half a mind to drag him into the remains of his childhood nest and smother him in Dick's own scent.  
  
  
  
He's so fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay in getting this out! i hope you've enjoy it despite the wait!
> 
> feel free to [hit me up on tumblr](https://atasteforsuicidal.tumblr.com/) at anytime! i'm always super happy to answer any questions or even just chat about any of my stories! or the batfam in general, tbph.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you're prepared for an overload of cuteness, folks~
> 
> there are no real warnings in play for this chapter, except maybe a general warning for the fact that jason shows some behaviours that are obviously a by-product of abuse; ditto tim and a vague implication of neglect.

Dick doesn’t move back into the Manor or anything, after that first meeting, but Jason hadn’t expected him to, anyway. Really, the way he tries to visit at least twice a week is already far more than Jason ever could have dreamed of. Growing up, he used to wish he had an older sibling - or even a younger one, really, but Jason knows he’s selfish, and he wanted someone to protect _ him,_ not someone else he had to protect. Things are still rocky between Dick and Bruce, but he and Jason bounced back from that less than stellar meeting pretty quickly.   
  
If anything, Jason wonders if maybe Dick is trying _ too _ hard now.   
  
It isn’t like his mama never scented him when she was still around, and, Hell, Bruce and Alfred even do it sometimes, but _ every single time _ Dick comes to the Manor, the first thing he does is hunt Jason down and then all but smother him - he’s even dragged Jason into his old nest, a few times. And it’s nice, kind of, but Jason doesn’t really want to admit that because it’s also _ embarrassing as hell. _ He’s not some little pup anymore, he doesn’t need a big brother swooping in and nuzzling into his hair, and licking his face, and freaking _ squashing _ him with his big-ass alpha arms.   
  
Really, he doesn’t.   
  
All things considered, it’s probably some kind of miracle that it doesn’t happen in front of Tim for nearly a month, but Jason knows he’s blushing something fierce as Dick swans into the in-home theatre and easily plucks him up off the sofa where he’d been sitting next to the younger boy. He can literally _ feel _ all of his Cool Points draining away as Dick rubs his cheek against Jason’s and then noses into his curls.   
  
Jason whines, and struggles halfheartedly, kicking out weakly against Dick’s front.   
  
“Ugh, let me go, Dickface,” he complains, but Dick only chuckles and hugs him tighter, “You’re crushing me!!”   
  
Tim giggles, and Jason blushes even harder; Dick seems to register the second pup for the first time, and he turns to face him, continuing to hold onto Jason as he assesses the young alpha.   
  
“It’s Tim, right?” He finally says, right as Jason manages to free himself, jumping down to land back on the sofa, “We’ve met a few times, if I recall?”   
  
Tim nods, and he’s got this star-struck look on his face that makes Jason frown and cross his arms over his chest.   
  
“Hi,” Tim says, “I- Yes. Yes, I’m Tim.” He smiles shyly, and moves to offer his hand before changing his mind, and arching his neck, instead, “It’s nice to see you again, Alpha Grayson.”   
  
Jason shoots Dick a look, at that, and shuffles just a little closer to Tim, and Dick merely hums, his gaze flicking over the entirety of the boy before settling on his face again.   
  
“There’s no need to be so formal,” he finally says, and Tim relaxes a little bit, “You can call me Dick.”   
  
“Yes, sir,” Tim says, then winces, and corrects, “I mean, um, okay, Dick.”   
  
Dick’s lips twitch like he’s holding back a smile, and Jason tries really hard not to outright sulk - because Timmy is _ his _ friend, and Dick isn’t allowed to steal him. What does Dick even need with a little kid for a friend, huh?   
  
He sputters out a protest, his cheeks turning bright red when Dick picks him up again and then sits down where Jason was, pulling him into his lap instead.   
  
“Dick,” he whines, “C’mon, put me down.”   
  
“So, what are we watching?” Dick asks, ignoring Jason’s protests in favour of ruffling his hair instead, and Jason lets out a frustrated huff.   
  
_ “Timmy and I _ are gonna watch _ Labyrinth _ ,” he says, and Dick smiles that stupid, pretty Dick Grayson smile of his.   
  
“Oh!” He says, “I love that one! C’mon, c’mon, let’s get it started.”   
  
Jason sighs, long and hard, and then reaches for the remote, his shoulders slumping a little in defeat. He flicks through his Netflix list, looking for the correct film, and Dick lets out a soft rumble that reverberates through his chest and makes Jason shudder a little bit. It helps him relax, though, and Jason would probably curse his own biology if it were anyone else.   
  
Dick starts petting him about fifteen minutes into the movie, and Jason relaxes like putty in his hands.

* * *

Tim can’t recall ever _ actually _ hearing an omega purr in real life before, and it takes him a few moments to realise that that’s what’s happening when Jason starts making a low, rumbling noise beside him. He looks over in surprise, and he must not be very subtle about it, because Jason's cheeks start turning red a few seconds later. It's… really cute, to be honest.

The thought has his own cheeks feeling warm, and Tim shakes his head a few times as if to clear his mind. He focuses back on the movie, and doesn’t even really notice the way he’s slowly gravitated into Dick’s side until he feels the older alpha sling an arm around his shoulders. Jason gives him a drowsy smile, and nuzzles against the side of his face for a moment, and Tim feels like he can’t breath for a second, except it doesn’t feel scary like it does when he wakes up alone after he thought he heard a noise.  
  
He offers a small smile back and, hesitantly, he returns the nuzzle, his smile growing when it makes Jason start purring again.   
  
Wow.   
  
Omegas only do that when they’re _ really _happy, right?   
  
Which means he’s made Jason happy, and Tim isn’t sure why, but that makes _ him _ feel really happy, too, and also - kind of - a little bit proud. He bets his mother would be really pleased, if he told her; she really wants him and Jason to get along.   
  
The three of them remain that way, not quite cuddling but still sharing their scents and body heat, until the movie is done.  
  
Tim feels a little guilty for even thinking it, but he can’t help wondering if this is what a pack is _ supposed _to feel like.

* * *

It becomes a thing, after that. If Tim is over when Dick is visiting, the three of them end up spending time together. Sometimes it’s like that first day, quiet and relaxing, cuddled up together in front of the tv; others, they rope Dick into playing with them. They’re ‘keeping him young’, they like to say, and Dick just chuckles, and jokes about how his back can’t hold up to lugging them around much longer even as he hoists one of them up onto his shoulders like they weigh nothing at all.  
  
And it’s fine, really. Jason feels closer to Dick than ever, and he’s happy that two of his new favourite people get along so well. It’s just-   
  
It’s just, well. Tim _ looks up to _ Dick, and apparently that’s not really a new thing. He’d seen Dick in the circus, before his parents died and Bruce adopted him, and he’d really admired him. And that shouldn’t be a problem, except how it _ is _ because Tim looks at Dick like he hung the stars, and asks about Dick when he’s not around, and Jason isn’t _ jealous _ , but it’s super annoying. Tim was his friend first, so _ he _ should be Tim’s favourite, right?   
  
Right.   
  
It isn’t conscious, the way he starts scenting Tim whenever Dick is around; Jason doesn’t even ‘catch himself’ doing it, not really, but he is. He turns bright red the day that Mrs. Drake comes by to pick Tim up and makes an off-hand comment about how Tim _ smells like an omega _ . She has this weird look in her eyes when she says it, and when Jason ducks behind Bruce’s leg, she just gives a soft, tinkering laugh.   
  
“It’s not a bad thing,” she tells him, winking like they’re sharing some kind of secret, and Jason hides his face in Bruce’s pants as the older man settles a hand gently into his curls.  
  
A few weeks later, Dick comes over for dinner since Bruce has to work late, and everything is going fine, until Dick asks how Tim is, and Jason _ growls _ at him. He doesn’t even mean to -- it just comes out, really. Dick’s eyes go wide, and he takes a step back in surprise, and Jason freezes, the blood draining from his face.   
  
“S-sorry,” he squeaks, ducking his head, “I’m sorry, Alpha.”  
  
“Jay,” Dick says, reaching out to the younger boy only to jerk his hand back when Jason flinches, “Jay, it’s alright.”   
  
Jason shakes his head, and mumbles another apology, flinching again when Dick sighs.   
  
“It’s _ okay _ ,” he says, and then adds, “But can you tell me what that was about, Jason? Is something wrong?”   
  
Jason’s hands clench into fists at his sides, and he shakes his head again.   
  
“No, Alpha,” he lies, forcing his voice not to wobble, “I didn’t mean to!”   
  
Dick sighs again, and steps closer, kneeling down before Jason and reaching out to take both of his hands into his own despite the way Jason’s scent spikes with fear.   
  
“Jason,” he says softly, “Look at me, please? You aren’t in any trouble, and I’m not mad. I just want to know what upset you.”  
  
Jason bites his lip, shaking his head a few times, and Dick gives his hands a gentle squeeze before letting one of them go.   
  
“Jason,” he says again, and curls his fingers lightly under Jason’s chin, gently guiding him to look up, and Jason breaks.   
  
“Timmy is _ mine _ ,” he finally says, tears springing up into his eyes, “He’s my best friend, but you’re gonna take him away cuz he likes you better.”   
  
Dick looks surprised, and then sad, and, then, weirdly enough, he looks _ amused _ , and even lets out a little huff that’s almost a laugh, his eyes twinkling kind of like how Mrs. Drake’s did that one time.   
  
“Oh, Jaybird,” he coos, leaning in to brush his nose against Jason’s, “I’m not trying to steal Timmy away from you.”   
  
“But you still are,” Jason argues quietly, and Dick frowns before tugging Jason into a hug.   
  
“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to,” Dick tells him, and then, just to be safe, he adds, “Which I _ don’t _ .” Jason makes a disbelieving noise, and Dick continues, “Timmy _ adores _ you, Jay!”   
  
“No he doesn’t.”   
  
Jason tries to tug himself free, but Dick just hugs him even closer, nuzzling against his cheek as he says, “Yes, he does. Trust me, Jason, I can see it, even if you can’t.”   
  
“But you’re his hero,” Jason tells him, and everything from his stance to his scent screams of dejection, and it just makes Dick try harder to cover the scent with his own, managing to draw a giggle out of Jason when he starts licking at his temple.   
  
“Mmmph, Dick, stop, that’s gross,” he grumbles, trying to pull away, and Dick smirks.   
  
“Alright, fine,” he says, changing tactics and beginning to tickle Jason’s sides instead. It makes Jason shriek, and he tries to wiggle free as Dick draws peels of laughter out of him, not stopping until he’s panting for breath and his eyes are wet from laughing instead of from crying.   
  
Jason knows it’s a distraction tactic, that Dick is just trying to make him stop thinking about Tim and who he does or doesn’t like best, but he decides to allow it, just this once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if all goes to plan, we should be seeing more of janet and bruce both in the next chapter! they were supposed to be in this one, but the kids had other plans.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i find myself having to revisit my initial plans just based on how things are coming together; there were originally going to be several large time-skips, but i think i'm going to try to dedicate at least a few chapters to each year now. hopefully it won't throw the already existing pacing off too much!
> 
> warning for discussion that implies/references the sexual abuse of a child, and for references to canon character deaths

August rolls around soon enough, and, with it, comes Jason's twelfth birthday. The party they throw isn't a big one, not like the one Tim had the previous month for his own tenth birthday, but it's the first real birthday party Jason has ever had.  
  
It's just Bruce and Alfred, Dick and Babs - his brother's omega and another of Jason's new favourite people - and Tim and his mother, all over at the Manor for a nice lunch and then cake and ice cream, but it's still more than Jason dared to hope for when he timidly reminded Bruce that his birthday was coming up a few weeks ago.  
  
He needn't have bothered, though; Bruce had given him this soft smile that also looked a little sad and told him that he could never forget his own child's birthday. It made Jason happy to hear, and then guilty for feeling a little sad, too. Bruce wasn't even there when he was born, but his mama and his pops were, and they'd forgotten it before, back when they were still alive.  
  
But he's trying not to think about that now, nor about how he'll never celebrate a birthday with either of them again. He has a new family, now, and they've been spoiling him all day in ways he didn't even know to hope for.   
  
It had started first thing in the morning, with Dick waking him up by tackling him in bed and cuddling him into submission when he woke with a start. Despite his surprise, Jason hadn’t even felt a little bit afraid to wake to the smell an alpha, knowing that it meant they’d come into his room while he was asleep, because he knew it was Dick’s scent right away. After Dick deemed him sufficiently cuddled, he’d dragged him, still in his pajamas, out of bed and down to the kitchen, where Babs and Bruce had already been waiting at the table as Alfred set out a _ ginormus _ spread of pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausages, and fruit, with a dish of freshly made whipped cream and jars of real maple syrup and strawberry puré - and then Alfred had joined them for breakfast, too, which was always a treat in and of itself.   
  
Everyone wished him a happy birthday before they ate, and, when they were done, they all took turns hugging and scenting him, and Jason had felt like air - or like a balloon, maybe, filled with air and light enough that he could have just floated away happily.   
  
He’d been surprised when Bruce pulled him aside after breakfast, and said that he wanted to give Jason one of his presents before Tim and his mother arrived. _ One of_, as if Bruce had gotten him more than one thing! And, sure, he knew that Bruce had loads and loads of money, but that didn’t mean Jason expected him to spend it on _ him _ . Not more than he already does, anyway, between feeding and clothing him, and buying him stuff for no reasons at all, like he’d done with the gaming system, and the books, and the tablet, and the ice cream runs and… Well, everything else, anyway. There was a lot, and sometimes it made Jason’s head spin to think about.   
  
So Jason had been excited, and a little anxious, as he carefully peeled away the wrapping paper on the box that Bruce handed him. It wasn’t very big, but Jason could tell by the box that was revealed that it must have been something expensive, because there was a brand on it that Jason recognized as a _ jeweller. _ His eyes had gone all wide and misty before he’d even finished opening it, and Bruce had just given him another one of his soft smiles when Jason looked up at him. And it couldn’t be, there was no way, because, sure, Jason was Jason _ Wayne _ now, not Jason Todd, but-   
  
Bruce had told him gently to go ahead and open it, and Jason’s hands had shaken as he did just that, removing the lid to reveal the delicate white gold necklace that held a pendant with the Wayne family crest etched into it on the front, and the Omega symbol on the back.   
  
His pops had never bothered to claim him beyond his bite, and Jason always told himself it was because they didn’t have the money for it. When his mama had passed away, Jason had taken the leather collar she’d always worn, the one with _ Willis Todd _ stitched into it, and kept it, but it didn’t fit him right, too loose and always chafing, and there was no real point in wearing the claim of a dead alpha, anyway, so Jason hadn’t worn it for long.   
  
He didn’t even realise he was crying until Bruce had pulled him into a hug, careful of the box still in his hands, and shushed him quietly.   
  
“It would make me so immensely happy if you would wear it, Jason,” he’d said, “But I understand if it’s too much. It’s enough to know that you have it.”   
  
Jason had let Bruce fasten it around his neck when he’d finally stopped crying.   
  
Tim had noticed it right away, when he and his mother arrived, breathing out a quiet _ ‘wow’ _ as he released Jason from the hug he’d greeted him with. He’d reached out to touch it, but then hesitated until Jason arched his neck proudly, granting him permission.   
  
“It’s beautiful,” Tim had told him, and Jason felt warm all over, pleased, and proud, and feeling a profound sense of _ belonging _ .  
  
That feeling has yet to evaporate, remaining with him throughout lunch, and while everyone sings happy birthday to him. While he blows out the candles of an _ actual birthday cake, _a cake that, somehow, tastes even better than the various cakes Alfred has made for desserts and snacks during Jason’s time at the Manor thus far.   
  
It stays even as he opens the frankly overwhelming pile of gifts, thanking everyone with enough sincerity that he makes his own eyes water, and _ grows _ when Dick plucks him up and puts him on his shoulders, Babs doing the same with Tim, and then tells Bruce that they’re all going to go hang out in the pool downstairs.   
  
There is no doubt in Jason’s mind that this is the best birthday he’s ever had - maybe that he ever _ will _ have - and that feeling of family and belonging and _ pack _is the real reason, more than any of the more tangible displays.

* * *

After Richard and Barbara had whisked the pups away, Pennyworth had brought out two steaming mugs of coffee, fixed perfectly to her own and Bruce’s likings, and then swiftly made himself scarce. Watching him disappear through the doorway, Janet knows that this is likely to be one of the best chances she’ll get, and so she takes a careful sip of coffee, and angles herself towards Bruce.  
  
“He’s really coming into his own, isn’t he?” She asks, a casual fondness she doesn’t really feel imbuing her tone, “You’ve done wonders for him, Bruce.”   
  
Bruce’s cheeks flush with pink as he casts a wistful gaze towards the hallway.   
  
“Jason is… supremely resilient,” he says after a moment, “He just needed someone to give him a chance.”   
  
Janet tuts softly, and Bruce gives her a look, his brow furrowed and lips drawn into a frown.   
  
“Don’t sell yourself short, Bruce,” she says, “Jason may have done well in any good home, but he’s _ flourishing _ in yours.”   
  
Bruce hums, sipping at his coffee for a few long moments before he replies, “If anything, _ he’s _ been a blessing to _ me _ . The way he’s gotten Dick to start coming home...”   
  
“Pups,” Janet says, “ _ Especially _ omega pups, can work wonders on a fracturing pack.”   
  
She reaches out, placing a hand on Bruce’s arm, and continues, “It pleases me greatly that you came across one another at such an opportune time.”   
  
Bruce gives a small smile, and reaches out to gently pat Janet’s hand with his own a few times.   
  
“Thank you, Janet,” he says gently, “But I must say, Tim has certainly played a key role in Jason’s ability to settle in here.”   
  
Janet can’t help but give a soft purr, and only hopes that Bruce will take it as pride in her son rather than the simple pleasure that it is.   
  
“My Timothy _ adores _ your son,” she says, just a hint of coyness to her voice, “I must say, he’s been much happier, too, with Jason around. It’s important for pups their age to have a best friend.”   
  
“Yes,” Bruce agrees, “It certainly is.”   
  
Janet allows him to dwell on that thought for a few minutes, finishing their coffees in companionable silence, before she broaches her main subject.   
  
“Have you given much thought to Jason’s future?” She asks, letting her smile turn a bit hesitate when Bruce looks up at her, “I know he’s still young, Bruce, but you’ve lost over a decade with him. That’s an awful lot of missed connections.”   
  
Bruce sighs, and sets his empty coffee cup aside, then folds his hands together and lets them hang between his knees as his rests his elbows on his thighs.   
  
“Jason hasn’t gotten along very well with most of the other pups he’s met,” he explains after a moment, “It’s one of the reasons we’ve been homeschooling him, for the time being. I don’t want to push him too far, too soon.”   
  
Janet hums, and then asks, “Is that why you waited until now to properly claim him?”   
  
Bruce gives her a wry smile at that, and then dips his head.   
  
“Yes,” he admits, “In part. Legally, that was all squared away when the adoption went through. But-”   
  
His smile slips, and a dark look passes over his features for a moment before he can shake it off, and Janet can’t help but frown herself.   
  
“Jason doesn’t have the best history with alphas,” he says eventually, slowly, as if he’s not quite settled on his wording even as he continues to speak, “It’s been a process, showing him that he can trust us, trust _ me _ . To lay claim to him too soon...” Bruce shudders, his eyes closing for a moment, “I didn’t want to risk giving him the wrong idea.”   
  
Janet has never considered herself a particularly emotional person, knows that she can, at times, be callous and unsympathetic, but she isn’t heartless - and she _is_ still a mother, herself - and so even she has to suppress a shiver at Bruce’s words, at the implications behind them.   
  
She’d already recognized that Jason no longer smelled like a true pup, that he had to have hit puberty at a particularly young age to have already smelled like a mature omega when Bruce took him in, but she hadn’t really let herself think about it too much. Tim was still a pup himself, and until he reached maturity, it wouldn’t cause any problems to her plan for Jason to experience heats.   
  
Now, she wonders if perhaps she’d been too quick to assume as much, if she’d wilfully ignored the circumstances that brought about such maturity and how they may still be impacting the boy she hopes to make her son-in-law.   
  
As if reading her thoughts, Bruce resumes speaking.   
  
“I won’t force him to start building bridges amongst his peers so soon,” he says, disgust painting his tone as he continues, “I won’t allow him to feel that I’m just waiting to auction him off to the highest bidder. Jason will be old enough to have an educated say in his future before I start making any plans for it.”   
  
Janet refuses to let her frustration and disappointment show on her face, knows better than to outright challenge an alpha, especially pertaining to decisions about his own pack, but she can’t help feeling a spark of annoyance.   
  
Damn Bruce Wayne and his heart of gold.   
  
“That’s very good of you, Bruce,” she says, instead of expressing her true feelings on the matter, “It’s important to consider that this isn’t the life he was born into and raised for, that it will take him time to adjust to the way that things are done.”   
  
She hesitates, ducking her head shyly, and then adds, “Perhaps, if he and Timothy remain such good friends, you might consider my son an appropriate mate for yours, when the time comes?”   
  
The look that Bruce gives her is surprised, but not suspicious, and Janet counts it as a win.   
  
“Is that why you asked?” Bruce asks her, and Janet gives him a sheepish smile.   
  
“Yes,” she admits, “But I see now that it was foolish to propose such a thing so soon. It’s simply that, well, I see them together, and I can’t quite help but think, maybe...” She shakes her head, and gives Bruce another small smiles, “I suppose I’m just a mother, letting her thoughts for her pup’s future run away with her.”   
  
Bruce gives her an understanding smile at that, before a pensive look settles over his features.   
  
“I won’t… dismiss this idea,” he says, finally, “But neither Jason nor myself are in any place to entertain thoughts of betrothal right now.”   
  
Janet does her best to temper her smile, to keep it soft, demure, but inside she allows her pleasure to grow stronger, heating her from the inside out.   
  
“Of course, Bruce,” she says, “It means the world that you would even agree to consider it when the time comes.”   
  
Bruce leans back in his chair, and offers her a small grin.   
  
“Well,” he says, “If things continue as they are, it doesn’t seem like they would be a terrible match.”   
  
“No,” Janet agrees, “It doesn’t seem that way at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed the update!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few little housekeeping things before we get into the new chapter. first of all, i know a lot of y'all are living for the fluff this fic has been bringing, and there is definitely still fluff in this chapter, but there's also a pretty heavy sprinkling of angst, and a dash of what i guess i should call porn - underage, at that, but it's mostly just jason… acquainting himself with his body, iykwim. still, if the latter is going to upset you, i would recommend skipping the fifth section (the one from jason's pov); i'll post a brief summary of it in the chapter's end notes. 
> 
> additionally, i realised as i was writing that jason was kind of… not quite babytalking, but something along that line, at times, and i’m sorry if that weirds anyone out or seems too out of place. it just seemed like the most natural way of writing it, and i suppose it’s a bit of a mild age-regression as a symptom of ptsd, given his previous experiences while in a similar state.
> 
> i didn’t originally plan on writing jason’s first heat at the manor in this fic - though i did consider writing it as a side-piece - but this fic is growing to encompass parts of jason and tim’s lives outside of their relationship (i know that’s mostly been with jason so far, but there will be tim stuff coming up, i swear!), so it seemed like it was something that should be included. speaking of tim (and the drakes), i had a bit of trouble deciding where to cut the scenes to include them, but i hope what i decided on still flows easily enough! i'm still not 100% happy with it, but if i read this chapter one more time, i might throw my phone out my window lmao.
> 
> finally, i've added a few new tags now that i've discovered a few things about jason's past. hopefully they aren't deal breaks for anyone, and they'll likely only be talked about and not actually shown. but i wanted to give as much notice as i could. a few of them are related to this chapter, but some won't show up for a while yet. 
> 
> trigger warnings for references to/discussion of the rape/sexual abuse of a child, implied parent/child incest, mild age-regression, and underage masturbation. and also i guess for dub-con voyeurism?

Bruce wakes one morning in September to find that Jason has barricaded himself in his room, and finds himself trying very, _ very _ hard not to panic. He tries knocking, tries calling out gently to the young boy, but Jason refuses to engage - with Bruce, or with Alfred. If it weren’t for the shuffling noises and the occasional whimper, he would worry that the boy had run away.  
  
Alfred turns to him, after a while, a stricken look on his face, and asks, “Master Bruce, how long would you say Master Jason has been with us?”  
  
It’s a strange question, and one that Bruce is sure Alfred must know the answer to, but he counts back, and replies anyway, assuming it must be important for the older alpha to bring it up.  
  
“It’s been nearly six months,” he says, the colour draining from his face as he follows through on that thought, _ “Oh.” _ _  
_ _  
_ Alfred hums, and sends a pained look towards Jason’s locked door.  
  
“I believe it would be prudent to see if Miss Gordon is available,” he says, and Bruce frowns, not liking the thought of someone who isn’t quite pack coming around when Jason is so vulnerable. But, then, Barbara is the only other omega who Jason is familiar with, at least as far as Bruce is aware, and it’s clear that Jason isn’t going to let Bruce or Alfred into his room - and Dick would likely receive the same treatment.  
  
He sighs, and reaches up to scrub a hand down his face.  
  
“Very well,” he says, “That would… be wise, yes.”  
  
Alfred pats his shoulder sympathetically, and steps away.  
  
“Then I shall reach out to her.”  
  
She arrives within the hour, which is much more quickly than Bruce had expected, but he can’t deny that it’s a relief when she comes upstairs, trailing behind Alfred. In the hour since the call was made, Bruce himself has made no progress with his son, but Jason’s whimpering and crying has grown increasingly audible, and it’s taken everything in Bruce’s power to keep himself from bursting down the door.  
  
Barbara looks stricken at the sound of Jason’s suffering, and she quickly moves to stand in front of his door, knocking lightly.  
  
“Jason,” she calls, “It’s Barbara, sweetheart. Do you think you could let me in?”  
  
Jason _ keens _ in response, and Bruce’s knees feel weak, fear and frustration flaring up in his scent, and he sees Barbara and Alfred both shudder. Barbara sends him a stern look, too, and Bruce tries to control his scent. It shouldn’t affect Jason, there’s no crack under his door, after all, the very reason they haven’t been able to smell Jason’s heat themselves, but if he does let Barbara in…  
  
As much as it pains him to do, Bruce takes a few steps away, further down the hall, though he cannot bring himself to leave entirely.  
  
“We’re all worried about you, Jay,” Barbara says, letting her palm and her forehead rest against the door, “I’d really like to come in and make sure that you’re okay. Do you think that would be alright?”  
  
Jason falls stubbornly silent, and Barbara frowns.  
  
“It would just be me,” she reassures him, then adds, “I promise.”  
  
The seconds tick by in agonizing silence before Jason, quiet and muffled by the door between them, asks, “You really promise?”  
  
“I do,” she tells him, “I promise. No one else will come into your den, sweetheart.”  
  
They can hear Jason shuffling around in the room, hear him sniffling as he gets closer, and he finally lets out a loud call of _ ‘wait’ _ before the lock on the door clicks. Barbara reaches for the doorknob, but hesitates, and shoots Bruce and Alfred both a pointed look as they hear further shuffling - Jason moving away from the door again, Bruce assumes.  
  
With an ache in his chest, he slips further down the hall, ducking into one of the unused bedrooms, and sees Alfred heading for the stairs.  
  
“It’s only me out here,” he hears Barbara say, but if Jason responds, Bruce can’t hear him. He does hear the door open after a few more seconds have passed, though, closing again soon after, and he lets out a long breath.  
  
When he finally gives himself the all clear to step back into the hall, he nearly chokes on the scent that has managed to spread into it, despite how briefly Jason’s door had been opened for. If there were any doubts about the cause of Jason’s self-imposed exile, they’re gone now; the scent of heat - tempered, of course, by the scent of _ pack _ \- is thick in the air, but even thicker is the smell of sheer terror, and Bruce feels sick, his vision swimming as his knees buckle. He has to reach out and catch himself on a console table to keep himself standing.  
  
He’s smelled Jason this afraid only once before, on the night they’d first met, and Bruce feels the same rage now that he did then. Unlike that first night, he feels useless now; there is no threat to fight off, this time, no outlet for his anger and revulsion.  
  
He just has to hope that Barbara will be able to calm his son and ease his fears.

* * *

“It’s only me out here,” Barbara says once Bruce and Alfred have made themselves scarce. Her hand still hesitates just above the doorknob, and she holds her breath, waiting, _ waiting _, and, finally, Jason calls out a nervous-sounding _ ‘come in.’ _  
  
She tries to be quick about it, opening the door just wide enough for her to slip inside his room, and then closing it behind her. Her fingers stumble over the lock a few times before finally managing to get it right, the scent of Jason’s terror making her eyes sting and her chest ache.  
  
Jason may not smell like a pup, but the scent of a fellow omega in such an intense state of distress has her instincts jumping to the forefront, and she has to fight against herself not to rush to Jason’s side. She takes a few deep breaths, even though it just means inhaling more of that awful, horrible scent, and stands her ground.  
  
“Jason,” she says gently, “I’m not going to hurt you, or make you leave your den. But do you think I could come closer?”  
  
Jason peeks out at her from underneath his bed, his whole body shivering, and just blinks at her hazily for a while. Eventually, he gives a single, sharp nod, and Barbara drops to her knees, crawling closer and setting aside the bag she’d brought in with her. She opens her arms, and does her best to project a calming, inviting scent, and watches with baited breath as Jason slowly - so, _ so _ slowly, like someone testing the coldness of the water at a beach - inches out from under the bed, and crawls over to meet her.  
  
His face is flushed with fever as he presses it into her neck, and his whole body is wracked with shivers that have Barbara enveloping him in a hug, dragging him closer against her.  
  
He keens again as he takes in several lungfuls of her scent, and Barbara hefts him up carefully into her lap. He’s wet with slick, his pajama bottoms soaked through, but she doesn’t make a single noise of complaint as she draws him closer and lets him settle against her.  
  
“Hurts,” he murmurs, his breath warm against her neck as he babbles, “D-don’t want it, please. M-make it stop. S’empty, d-don’t wanna feel empty, don’t wanna have t’be full. _ Make it stop. _ ”  
  
“Shh, Jason,” she murmurs, stroking her fingers gently through sweat-dampened curls, “Shh, it’s alright, no one is going to make you be full. No one is going to hurt you.”  
  
She reaches out with her other hand to dig into her bag, and takes out a bottle of water, flipping the spout up and then gently coaxing Jason away from her neck.  
  
“Do you think you can take a few sips of water for me, Jay?” She asks, reaching out to brush his bangs away from his forehead as he contemplates his answer.  
  
Finally, he nods, and leans forwards, taking the tip of the bottle into his mouth; it’s the kind with a straw attached, and he sucks up several large gulps before he goes back to his previous position.  
  
“Good,” Barbara murmurs, flipping the spout back down and then setting the bottle aside for later, “That’s good, Jay.” She reaches into the bag again, and pulls out a baggie full of trail-mix, which she carefully presses into his hands.  
  
“Why don’t you try to eat a little of that, okay?” She asks, and he gives a hesitant nod, turning sideways in her lap so that he can still lean against her chest as he reaches into the bag for a few pieces.  
  
He eats slowly, but steadily, and Barbara offers the water to him again every few minutes, letting him drink and eat mostly at his own pace. When he’s finished the water, and most of the bag of trail-mix, he pushes the bag back towards her and shakes his head.  
  
“No more, please,” he says quietly, “My tummy hurts.”  
  
Barbara coos at him, nuzzling into his curls, and moves to rub circles into his stomach with her hand, and Jason freezes, betrayal flashing in his eyes as he tries to squeeze his legs closed.  
  
“N-no,” he says, shaking his head, and Barbara lets him pull away, her hands drawn back to her sides, “No fingers.”  
  
Tears well up in Jason’s eyes, spilling over and sliding down his cheeks as he scrambles out of her lap and draws his knees up to his chest, his arms curling around his legs.  
  
“No fingers,” he says again, his words muffled by his thighs, “Mama said it would help, and she _ lied _, it hurt, _ no _. Don’t want any kind of full.”  
  
Barbara can feel her heart breaking as horror washes over her at what Jason is implying, and she can’t quite hold back her own tears as she looks at him.  
  
“Jason,” she says, and her voice _ breaks _, “Oh, no. No, sweetheart, I’m not going to do that to you. I just wanted to massage your stomach - to help with the cramps. It always helps me feel better if someone does that for me. I’m not going to touch you there, Jason, I swear on my life.”  
  
If Jason's scent is anything to go by, the younger omega isn't convinced, and Barbara lets out a soft sigh before standing up. She gives his hair a gentle ruffle before making her way into his en-suite bathroom and beginning to draw a bath. She keeps the water cool, just a little shy of lukewarm, and adds a bit of epsom salt, swirling the water with her hand to help it mix in.  
  
After a few minutes, she hears Jason shuffling around, and a small smile curls her lips at the spike of curiosity slipping into Jason's scent. She hums quietly, 'ignoring' Jason as he slowly creeps into the bathroom.  
  
"What're you doin'?" He asks shyly, and Barbara turns the faucet off before looking over her shoulder at him.  
  
"You'll feel a bit better if you're clean," she tells him, despite knowing it won't last long, "Plus the water should help with your fever, and the salt will help a little with the cramps."  
  
Jason bites his lip, staring at the bath longingly for a few moments before glancing at Barbara from the corner of his eye.  
  
"I won't stay while you bathe, if you don't want me to," she tells him gently, "I thought maybe I'd go see if Alfred could fix up a few more snacks for us."  
  
Jason continues to hesitate, dipping his fingers into the water as he frowns.  
  
"You can lock the bathroom door until you're ready to come out," she says, "And I won't let anyone else go into your room."  
  
Barbara stands up slowly, and turns to give Jason a small smile.   
  
"Okay," he says finally, and Barbara coos gently, pleased with the way he starts to relax in response.  
  
"Take as long as you want, okay?" She tells him, "The salts will work best if you soak for a while."  
  
Jason nods in understanding, looking at the bath again, and then at the door, and Barbara nods to herself.  
  
"You're safe here, Jason," she promises, then leans down to press a kiss to his forehead before she slips out the door, closing it gently behind herself.  
  
She hears the lock click a few seconds later.

* * *

Tim hangs up the phone with a frown on his face. It isn't just that Jason won't be able to come over like they'd planned, but that Alfred had said that Jason is sick. Except he'd also said that the older boy wouldn't be available for a week, as if he could predict how long it would take for the illness to run its course.  
  
He's still frowning when he makes his way to the sitting room and finds his mother flipping through the morning paper. She looks up when he enters, and sets the paper down on the coffee table.  
  
"What time should we be expecting your other half?" She asks, lips turned up in a small smile the way they always seem to be when teasing Tim about how close he is with the other boy.  
  
Tim heaves a dejected sigh, and watches as her brow pulls together.  
  
"Mr. Pennyworth says he's sick," he tells her, and she hums, a thoughtful look on her face, "He said Jason's gonna be sick all week."  
  
He hesitates for a moment, knowing that his mother hates when he asks silly questions, but decides to ask anyway.   
  
"How can he know that?"  
  
There's a knowing look on his mother's face, and it only makes Tim frown even harder. She's going to tell him something he's supposed to already know, and then she'll be angry at him for not remembering.  
  
But Tim swears he doesn't know; he does know that once he's older and his senses are stronger that he'll be able to smell illness, but he doesn't remember anything about being able to tell, or even estimate, the duration.  
  
"I suspect Jason isn't actually ill," she says finally, which really doesn't make any sense.  
  
"Why would Mr. Pennyworth lie?"  
  
Does Jason… not want to play with him anymore? Was Mr. Pennyworth trying to let him down gently?  
  
His mother sighs, and then pats the space next to her on the sofa. Tim sits down next to her, and tries not to bite his lips; Mother hates when he shows his anxiety like that.  
  
"Do you remember," she starts, "When your father and I spoke to you about puberty?"  
  
Of course he does; he'd been embarrassed for weeks afterwards, barely able to face either of them without blushing.  
  
"I remember," he says, voice just subdued enough to show the remnants of that embarrassment.  
  
His mother hums again, and reaches over to smooth down his hair.  
  
"Then you remember the differences we spoke of?" She asks, and then, as if to prompt him, she adds, "Between the different castes? Particularly omegas."  
  
Tim feels himself blush as he turns his gaze to the floor. Yes, he definitely remembers that part of the conversation, remembers how his parents had spoken of the ruts he would face, and then of the heats that omegas would experience instead and all that both of those would entail.  
  
His blush darkens when he realises what his mother is getting at, lips parting in a soft _ oh _ of understanding, and he hears her chuckle as she presses the back of her hand to one of his cheeks, feeling the warmth there.  
  
"Jason is likely in heat," she tells him, as if he hasn't already figured that out for himself.  
  
"Isn't he too young?"  
  
The words slip out before he can stop them, and Tim covers his mouth with his hand, dismayed by his lack of control. It’s just, well, he thought most kids hit puberty when they were thirteen, sometimes even older, but Jason had only _just _turned twelve. Did that mean there was something wrong? He’s seen even younger omegas on the news before, and it usually meant something had happened to them, that there was some kind of hormonal stress at play. But that couldn’t be the case here, could it? Jason seemed happy with the Waynes.  
  
So, probably, it’s a stupid thing to be worried about.  
  
Except his mother isn’t saying anything.  
  
She remains silent for what feels to Tim like a painfully long time, and when she does finally speak again there's something in her voice that Tim doesn't like, though, if asked, he isn't sure he could say why.

"Jason is a bit on the younger side for a first heat," she says, "But he's hardly outside of the standard deviation. It isn't unheard of by any means."  
  
Tim considers that fact and then nods to himself, hands carefully resting once more in his lap instead of fidgeting like they want to. It's not like it's any of his business anyway, when Jason does or doesn't start his heats, but it is a little weird to think that his friend is officially going to be considered mature, if not technically an adult yet.  
  
There's still this nagging feeling like his mother is keeping something from him, but Tim does his best to ignore it.  
  
After all, Janet Drake never does anything without good reason.

* * *

Janet shoos her soon off with a pat on the head and instructions to run along find some other way to occupy himself for the day, and then sits back with a sigh when he obeys.  
  
She had known this day was coming, had assumed - correctly, it seemed - that Jason had yet to have his first heat as a member of the Wayne pack, and she could do the math. What she hadn't known was that she wouldn't have the heart to look at her son and tell him the truth.  
  
At ten years old, Timothy's sense of smell just wasn't acute enough to have picked up on Jason's maturity already; she had suspected as much, as he was a curious boy, and would have asked her about it already if he had noticed. Still, she had expected to have a frank conversation with the boy when the time came, to be able to explain to him some of the finer points of what may cause an omega to mature early - Timothy was bright, after all, and always hungry for new knowledge.  
  
But he had seemed so confused, perhaps even _ concerned, _ when he brought up Jason's age, and Janet had found that she simply couldn't tell him that it was hardly his friend's first heat. Suddenly, the thought of those bright blue eyes staring at her in horror and sadness was too unappealing to bear, and she couldn't tell him.  
  
So she lied, implied that it must have been Jason's first heat, and the rest of it was true; in a stable and secure environment, the average alpha or omega child begins to mature within a few months on either side of their thirteenth birthday. For Jason, who had only recently turned twelve, it wouldn't actually be that strange to experience his first heat; averages have to come from somewhere, after all.  
  
She only hopes that her lie will be enough for Timothy, hopes that she and Jack had taught him enough about manners and tact that he wouldn't go ahead and confront Jason himself. There would come a time when her son fixating on the omega's cycle would be useful, would be something to subtly encourage, but right now, likely still years away from his own rut and with Jason so freshly out of his past horrors, it could do immense and irreparable damage.  
  
She would have to be more attentive to Timothy's curiosity when planning their next steps, lest he ruin everything she was working toward.

* * *

Jason waits until he hears his bedroom door open and close again, and then he double-checks the lock on the bathroom door before he strips out of his pajamas and climbs into the tub. The temperature is just right, and he surprises himself by letting out a purr as he settles into the bath. It feels so nice on his overheated skin, and he takes a moment to close his eyes and just lie there.  
  
But the heat right inside his belly is still there, even if he doesn't feel hot all over anymore, and Jason whines eventually, shifting around uncomfortably in the water.  
  
It isn't fair that he has to feel like this, that he has to have a body that wants to be fucked even if _ he _ doesn't, and Jason whines again, squeezing his legs together when it feels like something within him throbs. That only makes it worse, though, and he growls, frustrated, as he spreads his legs instead, stretching them out as much as he can in the tub.  
  
Tentatively, he trails one of his hands down his stomach and then past his cock, and tells himself that the bathwater is the only reason he's wet.  
  
He knows he'd just told Barbara that he didn't want to be touched, and he wasn't lying, he really wasn't, but- But it's different, if it's himself doing the touching, right? Biting his lip, Jason drags the tip of one of his fingers between the folds of his cunt, his entire body shuddering in response.  
  
He opens his eyes, and glances behind himself at the door for a long moment before swallowing the lump in his throat and repeating the action. Then he does it again, and pushes a little bit more of his finger in this time, biting down harder on his lip as a whine tries to escape him.  
  
It feels… okay. Not amazing, but not as awful or painful as any of the times someone else did it, and Jason dares to go in a little further again. It's weird, he decides, warm and wet and _ tight _ around his finger, and it makes that something warm in his belly burn even hotter. Jason lets himself sink a little lower into the bathtub, and closes his eyes again as he pulls back and then returns with two fingers this time.  
  
He shudders again, and feels a rush of wetness against them that has him whining and squeezing his legs together again, water sloshing out onto the floor as he moves too quickly in the bath.  
  
_ Oh _, he thinks, squeezing even tighter and trying to move his fingers as much as he can despite that.  
  
His mama had told him that it would help, that even though it wasn't an alpha's knot, his body would still be glad to have something inside of it, but he hadn't believed her. When she'd touched him, whispering how sorry she was but how she was going to help him, he'd just felt hurt, but maybe it wasn't really a physical hurt. Maybe it was just that his heart hurt so much that he couldn't feel the good she was trying to do.  
  
The alphas who'd touched him didn't count, though; everything they'd done had hurt, and Jason is pretty sure that it was on purpose, even if they did say things about wanting to make him feel good. They hadn't meant them, because they also laughed when he cried, and told him to shut up and take it like he was made to when he screamed.  
  
He whimpers at the thought, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes as he closes them tighter, and tells himself that this is different. This is how it's _ supposed _ to be for a child in heat; himself, learning his own body at his own pace. What he's doing isn't bad, or wrong, and he's _ allowed _ to try it.  
  
Some omegas - and girls, he supposes - like doing this even when they aren't in heat, because it's _ supposed _ to feel nice, and he tries to focus on that thought as he continues touching himself, experimenting with different angles and speeds, and even rubbing at the outside parts of his cunt a few times.  
  
His cock starts to get hard after a while, too, so he tries touching that the way he's seen alphas do before they fucked him or after they pulled out, when they wanted to cum all over his face or his back instead of inside of him. It startles a moan out of him, and it's like some kind of seal is broken, because he can't seem to _ stop _ after that, little whimpers and gasps escaping him as that heat inside of him burns hotter and hotter. He lets out a high whine when he finally comes, his limbs going lax and seemingly boneless as he slumps down into the water and carefully pulls his fingers out of himself.  
  
He lies there, panting, for a few long minutes before he reaches for his bar of soap and rubs it over his thighs and his crotch, cleaning up the mess of slick and cum that the water itself hasn't already washed away.  
  
There isn't much point in washing his hair or the rest of his body, though; it's only the first day of his heat, and Jason knows he's only going to end up messy again sooner rather than later.  
  
He hopes Babs will let him take more baths, or at least showers, throughout the week.  
  
(He _ prays _ it'll only ever be his own mess that he has to clean off).  
  
He pulls the plug and climbs out of the tub on shaky legs, immediately snatching up a towel and wrapping it around himself. There’s a scent on it that makes him whine, pressing the soft material up against his nose for a moment as he breathes in deeply.  
  
_ Alfred _; it’s Alfred’s scent, must have transferred when he was doing the laundry, and Jason is a little surprised to find that the scent of alpha doesn’t immediately make him want to flee. He takes several more deep inhales of that calming earl grey scent before he starts toweling himself off, more gently than he usually would because even the soft cotton of the towel feels like Hell against his skin.  
  
The clothes that Alfred had laid out for him the night before are still on the counter, and Jason laments the fact that they’re not soft enough as he pulls them on quickly, even though he knows he's only going to make a mess of them, anyway.  
  
He brushes his teeth slowly, dragging it out as long as he can, and then he hesitates in front of the door for several minutes longer, ears straining to hear anything that might be happening in his bedroom. He can hear movement, the rustling of fabric, and-  
  
And Barbara humming quietly.  
  
He takes a few deep breaths before he finally unlocks the door, opening it slowly and taking a quick peek into the room to confirm that it’s only Babs waiting for him. The relief that washes over him at the lack of alpha scent or any other presence in the room nearly sends him to his knees, his legs shaking once more as he forces himself to step out into his bedroom.  
  
Barbara looks over at him with a soft smile, and stands up from where she’s just finished attaching a new fitted sheet over his bed. His heart pangs at the thought that she changed his sheets, that she wanted to give him somewhere dry and comfortable to rest, even if they both know that it won’t stay that way for long. He shuffles his feet, and looks down at the pile of material by the foot of the bed, a questioning sound slipping out of him without his permission.  
  
If possible, Babs’ expression seems to soften further, and Jason feels his cheeks heating up.  
  
“How are you feeling, Jay?” She asks, and he shrugs, looking down at the floor.  
  
“Better,” he says, then hesitates before adding, “But… But not great.”  
  
She sits down, the pile of material at her feet, and pats her lap gently as she gives Jason a reassuring look.  
  
“Come here?”  
  
It’s a request, not a demand, and that’s probably why Jason does it, shuffling over to stand between her legs and letting her reach out to brush his damp curls away from his face.  
  
“Are you hungry?” She asks him, and Jason shrugs, teeth digging into his bottom lip, “Alfred sent us up some sandwiches, so we can eat them now or save them for later.”  
  
He chews his lip for a moment longer before he finally shakes his head.  
  
“Later, please.”  
  
“You got it, kiddo,” she says, and her smile is so bright that Jason feels himself being drawn closer, crawling up into her lap before he consciously makes the decision to do so.  
  
She brushes at his hair again, and holds his gaze as she murmurs a quiet little _ ‘hey, there.’ _ Jason’s cheeks are so hot, but it’s not from fever, not yet, and Jason tucks himself up against her, pressing his face into her neck the way he had earlier. She coos, and he feels a shiver run down his spine as she starts to rub his back, letting them stay that way for a few long moments before she speaks again.  
  
“I thought, maybe, we could make a nest together,” she tells him, and Jason pulls back to stare up at her, his eyes instantly filling with tears.  
  
“I don’t make good nests,” he tells her, shame and frustration painting themselves across his face. His mama had tried to teach him, but they never had very good materials for it, and, well, then she was gone, and he was lucky if he had a single blanket or jacket to pull over himself when he slept.  
  
The look Barbara gives him then isn’t pitying, like Jason had expected, but it’s definitely sad, and she cups his cheek gently in her hand, her thumb stroking over his cheekbone.  
  
“Would you like to learn?”  
  
He blinks at her, processing the words for a lot longer than he probably should, and something like hope blooms in his chest before he can squash it back down.  
  
_ “Please.” _  
  
“It would be an honour, Jay,” she tells him gently, and then her hand is gone from his cheek as she shifts him so she can bend and reach towards the pile of materials, “Bruce and I picked out some nice blankets for you to use.”  
  
She picks up one of the blankets in question and passes it to him, letting Jason hold it and bring it up to rub against his cheek, a faint pur building in his chest at how soft it is.  
  
“You don’t have to use anything you don’t want to, okay, Jason?” She adds after a moment, and he looks up to see a crease in her brow, “But I have a few other things here, too. Things that belong to Bruce, and Alfred, and Dick. I know you aren’t ready to be around them, but their scent might still make you feel better.”  
  
Jason frowns, and looks over at the pile. Smelling Alfred on his towel had been nice, but does he really want to be in a nest that will surround him in the scent of all three of his pack’s alphas? Will it really help?  
  
His hesitance is easy to see, and Barbara nudges him gently to look at her again.  
  
“You don’t have to decide right now,” she tells him, “We can always add them after, if you decide your nest doesn’t feel complete.”  
  
Jason hesitates a few moments longer before he nods, clutching the blanket in his hands closer to his chest.  
  
"Maybe later," he mumbles, and Babs ruffles his hair.  
  
"Alright," she says, "Up we get, then."  
  
Babs, it turns out, is great at nesting, and also great at teaching, even if it takes a while for Jason to settle enough to just… give into his instincts instead of overthinking everything. It takes them close to two hours to finally build a nest that Jason is satisfied with, and, in the end, he does end up adding a few of the items that belong to his packmates.  
  
It serves as a nice distraction, and when the two omegas finally settle into the nest, Jason is surprised to realise he’d managed to forget about his heat for a little while. He curls up close against Barbara, his nose tucked into the scent glands at her neck, and lets out a small sigh as he relaxes into the first real nest he’s been inside of since his mother died. Already, he can feel the way that it’s beginning to soothe his instincts to be surrounded by his pack’s scents and cuddled up to another omega. Fleetingly, he thinks that Dick and Babs need to get married, or at least claim each other, so that she can officially be his pack’s head omega. Like-  
  
Like a mother.  
  
Not long after they settle down, Jason’s fever begins to rise again, his stomach cramping, and, this time, he doesn’t shy away when Barbara offers to rub his stomach, and she was right, it _ does _ help a bit. Still, it doesn’t stop him from becoming a whining, writhing mess as the minutes tick by, tears welling in his eyes as he soaks through his pants once more.  
  
But Barbara keeps her hands above his waistline, just rubs his tummy and his back, pets at his hair, and wipes his tears, cooing at him softly all the while. He ends up with his face tucked into one of Bruce’s work-shirts at the inner edge of the nest, inhaling deeply as if he wants to be smothered by his alpha’s scent, and Barbara rubs at his back, coaxing him away eventually to drink some water before letting him go back to it. She leaves briefly, comes back with a cool cloth that she lays over the back of his neck, and Jason can’t help but sigh a little from relief, even if it is short-lived with how hot his skin is.  
  
He gives in about an hour in, reaching down to touch himself like he had in the tub, and he’s certain that the heat in his cheeks is from shame as much as it is the fever. Barbara offers to leave when she realises what he’s doing, but he shakes his head, scent spiking with distress, and she nuzzles at his hair in response, tells him that it’s okay and to do what he needs to do, she won’t go anywhere, and he’s so _ embarrassed _, so _ ashamed _, and he’s crying when he finally comes, torn between wanting to hide himself away and wanting to cling to Barbara and also tell her that he’s sorry, beg her to forgive him for doing something like that in front of her. He’s still caught between those options when the older omega makes the decision for them and draws him closer, curling around him and letting her wrist rest near his face so he can scent her.  
  
There’s no anger in her scent; no disgust, or distrust, or hurt, and it goes a long way to soothe his frayed nerves. Because he knows, okay, he knows what it’s like to watch someone touch themself in front of you, knows that it’s scary, and creepy, and- _ Inappropriate _. But Babs really doesn’t seem upset about it, and he still feels guilty and embarrassed, feels selfish that he’s relieved she isn’t upset, but-  
  
But maybe that’s a problem for later, when he’s not so damn tired that he’s nodding off in her arms, barely able to keep his eyes open. Yeah, maybe when he wakes up, they’ll talk about it, figure out what sort of boundaries need to be set before the next wave hits, all the stuff they _ could’ve _done if Jason had just reminded someone that his heat was due soon, if he hadn’t been too afraid to bring it up and see the hunger in his alphas’ eyes. He shudders at the thought, whines quietly in response when Barbara coos and hugs him closer, and it isn’t much longer before he’s asleep.

* * *

No one bothers them over the next few days, and come the fifth day of his heat, when his hormones are finally beginning to settle back down, when he can go more than an hour or two without soaking through his underwear, Jason finally agrees to venture out of his room, clinging tightly to Barbara's sleeve as he does.  
  
On the sixth day, he allows Alfred, Dick and Bruce to scent him, and it's even more calming than nesting with their clothes and blankets has been, but he still skitters away from them quickly, sticking close to Barbara's side until they return to his room and their nest.  
  
Life starts to go back to the new normal after his heat finally passes, and if he feels just a little bit safer in his new home, if he trusts the members of his pack just a little bit more, well, Jason doesn't have to tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those of you who wanted to skip the 'porn': jason ends up masturbating in the tub, which includes reflecting a little on past experiences with being touched by other people and how he feels a little guilty and uncertain about what he's doing and about the fact that it feels good. when he finishes that (and his bath), he goes back to his room where babs teaches him how to build a nest, and then he ends up masturbating through another wave of his heat with barbara still there (and feels extra guilty about that fact because he knows it's inappropriate). babs does **not** participate in this, but when she offers to leave, jason doesn't want her to go, so she's in the nest with him even though she isn't touching him in any kind of sexual way.

**Author's Note:**

> this one (and the next one) might be a bit slow to update as i've fallen terribly behind and i have some non-event stuff i've been neglecting, as well, but i definitely intend to finish it!


End file.
